Composite hockey-stick blades typically are constructed by wrapping fiber-reinforced plies over one or more core elements to create a hockey-stick blade pre-form. The blade pre-form is then placed within an external mold where resin, which is either pre-impregnated in the fiber plies or added via a resin-transfer process, is cured. An expansion bladder within the blade pre-form, or one or more heat-expanding core elements, may be used to provide internal pressure to mold the blade into the shape of the external mold. The curing process hardens the resin so that the fibers become disposed within a hardened resin matrix, while the mold defines the exterior shape of the cured blade (which sometimes is integrally molded with a hockey-stick shaft).
The fibers in composite hockey-stick blades typically are oriented uniformly throughout the blade, which generally has a substantially uniform thickness. Some blades include separate elements that increase the weight in the heel region or other portions of the blade to provide varied feel and control. The toe region of these blades, however, has been ignored with respect to modifying weight and feel. Further, while isolated regions in some composite blades have been modified, the blades are not tailored throughout their lengths to provide tuned performance and feel throughout the lengths of the blades.